Butchers warned against phone scam

Aidan Fortune
· 16 December, 2015

Butchers have been warned against scams using stolen cards and urged to be vigilant against “too good to be true” orders.

The National Federation Of Meat & Food Traders (NFMFT) has warned its members against accepting unexpected catering orders from people they don’t know following recent incidents in the south west and East Anglia. The order scams involved stolen cards where large orders were placed over the phone with couriers or taxis sent to collect them.

It warned that these criminals sounded very plausible on the phone and urged butchers not to be tempted by a large order at this time of the year.

It offered up the following advice to butchers who are unsure if an order is a scam:

• Check your merchant instructions. An authorisation doesn’t guarantee payment and will not protect you in a ‘Cardholder Not Present’ situation if the card is later found to be stolen.• Even if you have been credited, the funds can be clawed back.• If you get targeted, try and make a note of the number. (A recent number used was 07437 836467. The police are trying to trace this, but it will probably be stolen as well or a pay-as-you-go.)• Tell the local CID as soon as possible.• Report it online at: www.actionfraud.police.uk• Tell the NFMFT so it can also update the police records and maybe they will spot a pattern that will help them to find these thieves.

If you’ve been targeted by a phone ordering scam, let us know @MTJTweets